Pictorial view device



May 8, 1951 w. WILLIAMS 2,551,818

" y PICTORIAL VIEW DEVICE l Filed Feb. 28, 1947 -2 Sheets-Sheet@ E? @yfwwf/m//M May 8, 3951 w. WILLIAMS 2,551,818

PICTORIAL VIEW DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a pictorial view, or display device; and more particularly it relates to such a device which has spaced distance or background, middle distance, and foreground portions.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a pictorial view, or display device presenting a spaced background or distance portion, a middle distance or intermediate portion, and a foreground portion, which is formed from a single piece of sheet material, as cardboard.

A further object is to provide such a device which :may be folded into a relatively fiat, rectangular shape for mailing or packing, and which requires no separate envelope.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings in which Fig. l is a plan View of one side (hereinafter termed the rear) of a flat sheet embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the other side (hereinafter termed the front) of said sheet; Fig. 3 is a view of the face of the folder as 'it appears folded for mailing; Fig. 4 is a View of the rear of the folder; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the folder assembled for display; Fig. `6 is an 'end elevation of the folder assembled for display, looking from the right of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a plan View of the folder, looking down on Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the device is cut from a single piece of sheet material, as cardboard, and has spaced from onelo'f its ends a base member 8 which is adapted to serve as one of the outside covers of the device when it is folded for mailing. A score line '9 on the rear surface of the sheet forms one margin of the base 8 and separates it from an envelope flap II) which is provided with a tongue II. A score line I2 forms the other margin of the base 8, and separates that portion from a background portion I3 which is adapted to serve as the other outside cover of the device when it is folded for mailing. The background portion I3 has reproduced on its front surface the background elements of a picture or display, and is provided with a first slit I4 which is adapted to receive the tongue II when the device is folded for mailing, and a second slit I5, the purpose of which will be discussed hereafter.

Parallel transverse score lines I6 and Il on the rear surface of the sheet form the boundaries of a rst connecting strip I8, which spaces the background portion I3 from a foreground portion I9. The foreground portion I9 has reproduced on its back surface the appropriate elements of the picture in inverted position with respect to the background elements, and has at least a part of its area cut away so that when the device is set up for display at least a portion of vthe back-' ground elements of the picture will be visible.

In its preferred form, the background portion I-Q- is cut away along the top margin of the elements reproduced thereon, with the exception of side strips 26, a top strip 2 I, and a tongue 2-2 the purpose'of which will be discussed hereafter.

Parallel score lines 23 and 24 form the boundaries of a second connecting strip 25 which is narrower than the first connecting strip I8, andv which serves to space the foreground portion I9 from a middle distance portion 26. The middle distance portion 26 has the appropriate elements of the picture reproduced upon its front surface in upright position with respect to the backH ground elements, and has 'at least a part of its area cut away in such fashion that when 'the device is assembled for display at least part of the middle distance elements and of the background elements are vvisible through the opening in the foreground portion I9. In the preferred form, the middle distance portion 26 is cut off along the upper margin 'of the elements reproduced thereon.

The middle distance portion 26 is provided with a slit 21 Vwhich is so located that when the device is assembled for display it is in line with the slit I5 in the background portion I3, so thatI the tongue 22 on the foregroundportion may traverse both slits so as to retain the three portions in spaced relation.

It will be observed that the background portion I3 and the base member S are of substantially equal breadth (lengthwise of the sheet), and that the combined breadth of the foreground portion I9 and the spacing strip I8 is slightly less than the breadth of the portion I3 or the member 8; so that the device may be folded upon the lines 23, I6, I2, and 9, with the middle distance portion 26 lying between the foreground portion IS and the background portion I3, in order to reduce it to a flat, rectangular shape suitable for mailing` or packing, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In order to assemble the folder for display, as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, it is merely necessary to set the bend at the score line I2 so that the background is at right angles to the base portion 8, bend each of the score lines I6 and II to a right angle position, bend each of the score lines 23 and 24 to a right angle position, and bend down the tongue 22 and insert it through the slots 21 and I5. The middle distance portion 26 is then spaced intermediate of the background and foreground portions, and the tongue 22 serves to retain the background portion I3, the middle distance portion 26, and the foreground portion I9 in spaced relation. In assembled position, each of the spacing strips I8 and 25 is between adjacent horizontal edges of the portions spaced by it.

The base portion 8 is preferably printed on the rear surface with lines for address and return address and with a stamp space, as is customary in mailing folders. The inside of the base portion 8 may be utilized for printing a brief description of the scene depicted in the folder, or may be left blank for a message, or may have both description and message space.

As best seen in Fig. 2, there is preferably a blank space along the lower margin of the background portion I3, here identified as IBa. which is masked by the foreground portion 2! when the folder is assembled for display, and this space may conveniently be used for printed assembly instructions.

While the invention is shown in the form of a folder suitable for mailing, it is plain that it is equally adaptable to a counter or advertising display device.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1 A long flat sheet having straight, parallel longitudinal edges, which is and adapted to be formed into a one-piece folding display device having spaced background, middle distance, and foreground portions, comprising: a rst portion adapted to form the background of the display device; a second portion adapted to form the foreground of the display device said second portion being narrower` than said rst portion; a third portion adapted to form the middle distance of the display device, said first and third portions having reproduced upon their fronts in upright position the appropriate elements of a pictorial representation, said second portion having reproduced upon its rear in inverted position the appropriate elements of said pictorial representation, and said second and third portions having atleast part of their areas cut away; a first connecting strip between the top edges of said first and second portions to space said portions; a second connecting strip between the bottom edges of said second and third portions to space said portions, said second connecting 4 strip being about half as wide as said rst connecting strip; and a tongue formed integrally with said second portion; said tongue being positioned to impale a pair of slots in said first and third portions when said device is assembled.

2. A one-piece collapsible pictorial view folder, comprising: a horizontal base member adapted to form one outside cover of said folder; a background portion hinged directly to said base member to form the other outside cover of said folder, the base member and background portion being of substantially equal breadth so that the free transverse edge of the base member may be secured directly to the background portion when the folder is collapsed; a foreground portion hingedly connected to the background portion by means of a spacing strip so as to extend downwardly in parallel spaced relation to said background portion, said foreground portion and spacing strip having a combined breadth no greater than the breadth of said background portion so that when the folder is collapsed they are wholly enclosed Within the background portion and the base member, and said foreground portion having portions cut away so that its periphery forms a frame having straight unbroken outer edges; a middle distance portion hinged to said foreground portion by means of a spacing strip so as to project upwardly parallel to and spaced from both said foreground and background portions, the combined breadth of said middle distance portion and its spacing strip being no greater than the breadth of said background portion; and hinged tongue means for securing said three portions in parallel spaced relation.

3. A one-piece collapsible pictorial view folder according to claim 2 wherein said foreground portion and said middle distance portion are each permanently secured to the adjacent portion of the display only by their respective spacing strips, and the hinged tongue means is on the foreground portion and engages slots in both the other portions-` WILLIAM WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,203,578 Podmore June 4, 1940 2,252,571 Kohn Aug. 12, 1941 

